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Louisiana Guardsman to get Arlington burial

Secretary of the Army John McHugh announced Friday that he has approved an exception to policy that will allow a Louisiana guardsman killed in a March 10 helicopter crash off the coast of Florida to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Staff Sgt. Thomas Florich was one of 11 service members killed when their Black Hawk crashed in heavy weather near Pensacola, Florida. Because Florich was on a training mission, his family’s request for burial at Arlington was originally denied by the cemetery’s executive director; a subsequent review by an advisory panel unanimously supported that decision based on the cemetery’s strict eligibility requirements for in-ground burial.

“As the nation’s premier military cemetery, Arlington National Cemetery holds a unique place in the history and hearts of the United States,” McHugh said. “Because of the overwhelming number of requests for burials — and the limited space available — stringent criteria for in-ground burials were enacted to ensure that an otherwise eligible veteran or service member would not be denied their right to be buried at Arlington.”

After reviewing the Florich family’s request, McHugh agreed that there was a “compelling justification for granting this request for an exception to ANC’s interment eligibility criteria.” McHugh specifically noted that while Florich was training in his capacity as a member of the National Guard, others who were killed were considered to be on active duty and were therefore eligible for burial at Arlington without an exception to policy.

That anomaly led McHugh to reverse the Army’s earlier decision.

“The Louisiana National Guard thanks the secretary of the Army for his consideration of this appeal that is deeply personal to the family, friends and loved ones of Staff Sgt. Thomas Florich,” said Maj. Gen. Glenn H. Curtis, adjutant general of the Louisiana National Guard. “We sincerely appreciate the tremendous outpouring of support offered from across the country to the Florich family. This soldier’s burial at Arlington National Cemetery is a fitting testament to his sacrifice and honorable service to our state and country.”

“Staff Sgt. Thomas Florich gave his life for our country. I thank Secretary McHugh for honoring his sacrifice by allowing him to be laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery,” said U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy. “Sgt. Florich’s family will continue to be in our prayers. His life, sacrifice and service will never be forgotten.”

On June 1, U.S. Sen. David Vitter sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Ash Carter requesting that the Office of the Secretary support the exception for Florich.

“Florich bravely enlisted in the Louisiana National Guard during the height of the War on Terror and gave his life while training for a specific mission to protect our country. He has surely earned the honor of being laid to rest at Arlington Cemetery,” Vitter said. “My entire family’s hearts and prayers go out to the family in this situation, and we are all truly grateful that the Army has reconsidered the Florich family’s request.”

U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham, R-Alto, who chairs a subcommittee that oversees federal military cemeteries, was among the lawmakers who asked the Army to reconsider its decision.

“I am very pleased to hear that the Army will allow Staff Sgt. Thomas Florich to be buried in Arlington. I’ve said from the beginning that he deserves this honor for giving his life in service to our country. My prayer is that his family now can find some solace in their loss knowing that their son will be honored as the hero he is,” Abraham said.

U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge, organized a June 2 phone call between Army officials and several members of the Louisiana delegation, which included Abraham, Graves, U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, Vitter and a representative from U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond’s office.

“It’s great when the government does the right thing — and today it did,” Graves said. “We appreciate Army Secretary McHugh taking a fresh look at the circumstances surrounding this hero and his family. Staff Sgt. Florich and his family will now receive the honor they deserve. We wish Sgt. Florich’s wife Meghan the best in the upcoming birth of their baby, and the entire family will remain in our prayers.”

“As the U.S. military evolves, reserve and National Guard service members train alongside their active duty counterparts with increasing frequency,” McHugh wrote in a subsequent memorandum. “When these service members tragically lose their lives while training side-by-side for the same mission in defense of our nation, it is fitting to afford them the same burial privileges.”

McHugh has since ordered a review of the Code of Federal Regulations — which governs eligibility for interment and inurnment at Arlington — to see if changes may be needed.

“As the cemetery’s stewards since 1864, the United States Army has a duty and responsibility to ensure that we are able to meet the needs of eligible veterans and service members who desire Arlington National Cemetery as their final resting place,” he said. “To do that, it’s important that we continue to uphold its standards and traditions, but at the same time, recognize the service and sacrifice of deserving veterans and military personnel. Staff Sgt. Florich is clearly deserving of this honor and his nation’s thanks.”